Sleigh attachment for vehicles.



A. HOFAGKER. SLEIGH ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1918.

Patented July 14, 1914.

.r/llIll n/r mum/s FETERS co, WASHINGTON, 1:11;.

ANTON HOFAGKER, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

SLEIGH ATTACHMENT FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed November 10, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON" HorAoKER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sleigh Attachments forVehicles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention has reference, generally, to improvements insleigh-attachments for wheeled vehicles; and, the present inventionrelates, more particularly, to a novel attachment for wheeled vehiclesof the various kinds, which can by the simple movementof a lever,operated by a person seated in the vehicle be brought into its properrelation with the wheels, so as to turn the vehicle into a sleigh.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to providea simply constructed, as well as a quickly and readily manipulatedsleigh or runner attachment that can readily be attached on any two orfour wheeled vehicle from a boys play wagon or a baby carriage to a fourhorse truck, also suitable. for attaching to the front wheels ofautomobiles; and, furthermore permitting interchangeable shoes on therunners which can be easily and quickly attached to the same. i

The invent-ion has for its further object to provide an attachment forthe wheels of vehicles which, while it is primarilyintended for the useas a runner or sleigh-attachment, may also be used as a wagonbrake ordrag for controlling the momentum of the vehicle in descending hills andsteep inclines.

Other objects of this invention not at this time more particularlyenumerated will be clearly understood from the following detaileddescription of the present invention.

With the various objects of this invention in view, the said inventionconsists, primarily, in the novel arrangements and combinations of thedevices and parts, as in the details of the construction of the saidparts, as described in detail in the following specification,

. Specification of Letters Patent.

to the runners is attached as well v and then finally em- Patented Julyit, 1914.

SerialNo. 800,170. I

bodied in the clauses of the claim which are appended to and which forman essential part of this specification.

The invention is clearl illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevationof a vehicle provided with asleigh-attachment constructed in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention, the runners being shown in their raised relationswith, the wheels; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the vehicle, but showingthe runners of the sleigh-attachment intheir lowered and operativerelations with the wheels; Fig. 3 is a view showing the controllinglever of the rear runners, actuating eccentric, and fork for holding andguiding the chain;'Fig. 4: is a view of the front running gear showingoperation of front runnersandtheir connection with rear runners; Fig. 5is a sectional view showing the connection of the front runners with therear runners; and Fig. 6 is a view showing the connection andconstrluction of the rear runners with the rear ax e.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the abovedescribed views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings, the reference character 1 indicates avehicle, 2 is the operating lever which swings on a pivot 3. controlledby the guide 4, attached to the vehicle by the bolts 5 and regulated bythe stops 6. Attached to the lever 2 is a hook link 7 which swings on apivot 8, to which at the hook end 9 is attached a chain 10 which isfastened to the rear shoe eccentric 11; to which isattached the shaft 12and the rear runner arm 13 having attached at the eye end 14;- a chain15 guided by the fork 16. Y

Movably arranged upon the peripheral portions of each front wheel 44 andeach rear wheel 19, so as not to interfere with the revolving movementsof the wheels, is a segmental runner 17, made of metal or any othersuitable material, these runners being provided with sideflanges whichextend partly up the sides of the wheels, while an interchangeableshoe18.

Aspring stud 20, held by a lock nut 21 is fixed at the angle 22 in therunner 17 which has a slot 27 in which is the stud 24 which acts as aguide and pivot for the runner 17,

said stud being fixedto the clamping device 28 which in turn is clampedto the axle 29. The stud 24 is attached to the clamping device 28 by alocknut 26- which has an adjusting nut 25 for regulating the spring 23connected to the extreme end, the other end of said spring beingattachedto the stud20. The function of this spring is to hold the runner whenraised in its proper relation with the wheels of the vehicle so as notto.

interfere with the free revolving movement of the same as shownmore'particularly in Fig. 6. g

From a front eccentric 30 attached to a crank 31 under the bed of thevehicle on the shaft 12 is attached a chain 32 which runs through apulley 33 and is attached to the lever 39, attached to the other end ofthe pulley frame 34 is a grooved pulley 35 which runs on a track orrunning gear 36 fastened with bolts 37 as illustrated inj38' to the bedof the vehicle. I

Attached to the front axle 43 and the lever 39 is a shaft witha crank 41provided with suitablebearings 42, a suitable clamping'de'vice 45holding the stud 24 to the axle 43 substantially as shown and as will beclearly understood from an inspection of Fig.4 of the drawings- I Asshown, therunners upon the front wheels of the vehicleare connected to achain 46 the other end of saidchain being connected by a suitablebracket 47 to the vehicle shaft 48.

WVhen the several parts are in the positions shown in said Fig. 1, thechains 10 and 15 are pulled. taut, and the runners are in their raisedpositions, so that the wheels of the vehicle are free to revolve. When,however, the operating leveris thrown into the position as indicated inFig. 2 of the drawings, the runners are lowered and the wheels will ridedirectly upo-n said runners until the chains 15 and 46 are held taut,thus providing a suitable sleigh-attachment or drag or brake for eachwheel which prevents its turning, as will be clearly evident.

It will be understood that the operating lever 2 can be placed on eitherside of a vehicle, making it easily operative for left or right handpeople, and that by omitting the front wheel equipment this attachmentcan be attached on two as well as four wheeled vehicles.

I am aware, that some changes may be made in the general arrangementsand combinations of the devices and parts, as well as in the details ofthe construction of the same, without departing from the scope of thepresent invention as set forth in the foregoing specification, and asdefined in the claims which are appended thereto. Hence, I do not limitmy present invention to the .parts as illustrated in the exactarrangements and combinations of the devices and parts as described inthe said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details ofthe construction of the said accompanying drawings.

I claim r I 1. In a sleigh attachment for wheeled vehicles, thecombination with the body and wheels of the vehicle, of a cross shaftunder the body of the vehicle, having attached thereto levers and forkedarms, said levers and arms flexibly connected with pivoted segmentalrunners, a handle mounted on the 'side ofthe vehicle, flexiblyconnectedwith the said cross shaft,substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. In a sleighattachment for wheeled vehicles, the combination with thebody and wheels of the vehicle, of a cross shaft under the body,bearingsfor said shaft fixed to the body, levers and forked guide arms attachedto the cross shaft and flexibly connected to pivoted segmental runners,a handle mount- 5 ed on the sideof the vehicle, a handle guiding andlocking. device secured upon the side of the vehicle, substantially asand for the purpose set forth. I I 3. In a sleigh attachment for wheeledvehicles, the'combination with the body and wheels of the vehicle, of across shaft under the body, bearings for said shaft fixed to the body,levers and forked guide arms attached to the crossshaft and flexiblyconnected to ivoted radially sliding, spring controlled s gmentalrunners with guide'flanges,a handle mounted on the side of the vehicle,aguiding'and locking device secured to the side of the vehicle,substantially as and for the purpose 'set forth.

4. Ina sleigh attachment for wheeled vehicles, the combination with thebody and wheels 'ofthe vehicle of a. cross shaft under the body,bearings for said shaft fixed to the body, levers and forked guide armsattached to the cross shaft and flexibly connected to pivoted radiallysliding, spring controlled segmental runners with guide flanges anddetachable shoes, said pivoted runners attached to the axle ofthevehicle, a handle mounted on the'side of the vehicle, a guidingandlocking devicesecured to the side of the vehicle, substantiallyv as andfor the purpose set forth. I p

In testimony, that I-claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 7th day of November, 1913.

' WVitnesses:

HENRY MoLzj, ERNST HENRY.

ANTON HOFACKER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner-pf Patents, '7

, Washington, D. G.

